Connecticut Temporary Guardianship Form PC-504

What Form PC-504 Does

Form PC-504 is the Connecticut Probate Court petition for appointment of a temporary guardian of a minor child. When a parent is temporarily unable to care for a child — because of illness, incarceration, residential treatment, military deployment, or another crisis — the parent and proposed guardian can petition together for a temporary guardian for a term set by the court, up to one year.

Once the court grants the petition, the temporary guardian has full legal authority over the child's education, medical care, dental treatment, mental health services, and daily decisions. Schools and medical providers accept a Probate Court decree without question.

How Long It Lasts

A temporary guardianship under PC-504 is valid for the term specified by the court, up to a maximum of one year. It is renewable — you can petition for extension before it expires if the parent's situation has not changed.

Some online sources reference "90 days," but the maximum term is up to one year. The court sets the term based on the circumstances of the case.

What You Need to File

Download form PC-504 from the Connecticut Probate Court website (ctprobate.gov). You will also need:

• PC-504CI (Confidential Information Sheet) — contains Social Security numbers for all parties and is filed separately from public court records
• JD-FM-164 (Affidavit Concerning Children) — a Judicial Branch form establishing the child's five-year residency history and disclosing any other court proceedings involving the child
• A long-form birth certificate — establishing the child's parentage
• Photo identification — for the petitioner

File everything at the Probate Court in the district where the child currently resides. If cost is a barrier, form PC-184 (Application for Waiver of Fees) lets eligible petitioners request a waiver of filing fees and service-of-process costs.

When the Parent Will Not Sign

PC-504 is designed primarily for situations where the parent consents to the temporary guardianship. If the parent is willing, both the parent and the proposed guardian sign the petition, and the court can process it relatively quickly.

When the parent is unreachable, refuses to cooperate, or cannot participate, do not treat PC-504 as a form a caregiver can file alone to bypass the parent's participation. Depending on the circumstances and statutory grounds, you may need to:

• Document your search efforts — certified mail to the parent's last known address, contacts with relatives, and any other attempts to locate them
• Pursue form PC-502 instead — a petition for temporary custody that does not require the parent's consent, filed during a pending PC-500 (removal of guardian) proceeding
• If both legal parents are deceased, use PC-508 — the petition for appointment of a guardian where parents are deceased
• Request immediate temporary custody via PC-501 — available when the child faces immediate risk of serious physical injury or removal from the court's jurisdiction; an ex parte order lasts up to five business days, with a hearing within that period

The right form depends on whether the parent is cooperating, missing, or actively opposing the arrangement.

Emergency Situations

If the child is at immediate risk, form PC-501 (Petition for Immediate Temporary Custody) bypasses the standard process. The Probate Court can issue an emergency order without the parent present, effective for up to five business days. A full hearing follows within that window. This is the path when a child's safety cannot wait for the normal filing timeline.

After the Decree

Once you have the court decree in hand, make several certified copies. You will need them for the child's school, pediatrician, dentist, therapist, and any benefits agencies. Each institution keeps its own copy on file.

The Connecticut School and Medical Consent Guide walks through the entire PC-504 process alongside every other consent path available to Connecticut kinship caregivers — including how to decide whether temporary guardianship is the right level of authority for your situation or whether a simpler option would work.

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